Please Breathe
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: "Get him out of there. Quickly!" "Oh, no. Hiccup. Please breathe… please breathe..." What if at the end of the Season 4 episode of RTTE, "Dire Straits," the team hadn't rescued Hiccup in time? NO LONGER A ONE-SHOT.
1. Breathe

**Sorry if this is short…** **I'm not sure… *sniffs* I'm not sure if there's going to be a lot to say about our protagonist, Hiccup Haddock.**

 ***bows head* Enjoy.**

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 **Chapter One: Breathe**

Hiccup looked over at Toothless from inside of his diving bell, feeling the cold ocean water rise up to his chest. He smiled at his dragon, holding onto the glass. Only seconds ago he had told Toothless to leave, save himself, but of course, the dragon refused. Even though Hiccup didn't want Toothless there with him at the bottom of the sea, he couldn't help but feel some kind of relief from his presence.

Smiling, Hiccup sucked in a breath. "I know, bud. I wouldn't leave you either."

Toothless gazed sadly at his rider, his neon green eyes filled with regret. He wouldn't leave his rider for anything in the world. Hiccup smiled, cocking his head. It was nice to know that when he died, he'd still have Toothless there to watch over him.

As the water went over his head, the boy was prepared to close his eyes and let fate take its course. Then, suddenly, something startled him to alertness.

There was something coming up to the diving bell… something big…

...and it was headed straight for Toothless.

Hiccup's eyes widened when he realized just what the thing was. It was the Submaripper dragon- probably coming to kill them. "Toothless, look out!" Hiccup shouted, forgetting about the water. He quickly learned that it was a big mistake to do so, and moments later….

He couldn't breathe.

Toothless shrieked and blew a plasma blast at the sea dragon. Unfortunately, it didn't even seem to faze it, and the Submaripper only swam faster on his course to meet them. Toothless swam out of the way right before the Submaripper crashed into the diving bell, and it began to swim to the surface with the contraption in its teeth. Hiccup's lungs were bursting, and he found blackness cover his eyes…

Slowly…

Slowly...

Until he passed out.

Toothless paddled after his rider, too frightened for Hiccup's life than his own. The Submaripper swam upwards until it broke the surface, and then it leaped up out of the water, hovering over the Dragon Riders' ship. Everyone on board was filled with horror when they saw what the dragon had in his mouth: Hiccup's capsule.

With a groan, the Submaripper dropped the device onto the deck of the ship, and dived back into the water, seeming as it were never there in the first place. Toothless soon jumped out of the water as well and clawed himself up on board. But the Riders were too distracted to see how Toothless was doing…

Because Hiccup was inside the diving bell, and he was unconscious.

Or worse.

"We need to get him out of there!" Astrid yelped, looking at Hiccup through the glass. Gods, he looked so pale… what had happened down there?

"How? It's dragon-proof," Fishlegs reminded, eyeing the diving bell nervously.

"We got this!" Tuffnut said, and he and Ruff stuffed a metal rod in the capsule's frame. "Barf! Belch!" The two-headed dragon twisted its heads in order to press down on the metal rod, and it resulted in removing one of the diving bell's legs, which cleared a passageway to get Hiccup.

"Now pull him out," Fishlegs stuttered, gesturing to Astrid. "Quickly!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Astrid dragged the limp boy out of the diving bell's interior, but Hiccup still didn't move. He didn't flinch. He didn't blink. He didn't do anything. Astrid gently laid Hiccup on the deck, unable to look away from the boy. _Thor, he looks terrible,_ she realized, her eyes wide with worry. _Is he-? No, he can't be…_ Just thinking about the fact Hiccup was… _gone_ sent a wave of terror through Astrid.

"Oh, no, Hiccup…," she murmured. "Please, breathe. Please breathe."

But Hiccup did not. His face was a pale sheet of white, with tiny droplets of water splattered across his cheeks like pieces of glass. Hiccup's auburn hair was soaking wet, making it seem all the darker against his light skin.

The boy's chest did not rise.

Toothless ran over to his rider, whining. He licked at Hiccup's cheek- that always seemed to do the trick to wake Hiccup up from these situations, and Toothless believed it to be true. But Hiccup didn't flinch at Toothless's touch like he usually would. His face remained impassive and peaceful.

The dragon whimpered and licked harder. Still, Hiccup didn't move.

"Toothless… stop," Astrid whispered. She knelt over Hiccup, and put her ear to his chest, searching for a heartbeat.

She was met with a cold silence.

"No, Hiccup," Astrid murmured, her cheeks suddenly becoming damp with tears. "Hiccup… please don't leave me..."

"Agh!" Snotlout growled from nearby. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" He kicked the side of the deck, causing the boat to shake. "Viggo's going to pay for this!"

"Guys, he's Hiccup," Fishlegs squeaked. "He can't be… he can't be… oh, Thor…"

The twins looked genuinely concerned and studied the unmoving Hiccup. "Come on, Hiccup," Tuffnut snapped, his brow furrowed. "Just wake up from that little nap of yours… I know you want to sleep in, but it's time to get up!" He paused and faked a distressed tone. "Ahh! Hiccup! I, Tuffnut Thorston, have been captured by Viggo. Save… me!" He winked at Astrid. "It always works."

But Hiccup remained still.

"Hiccup," Ruffnut threatened, "if you don't wake up _right now,_ I will… I…" She thought for a moment and crossed her arms. "Well, I haven't decided yet! But I can assure you, _Hiccup,_ you're not going to like it!"

Hiccup didn't flinch.

Astrid stiffened, raising her head from Hiccup's chest. Her eyes were a swirl of pain and sorrow, and teardrops fell like rain down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening. This _shouldn't_ be happening. Hiccup had risked his life to save all of Berk and the other riders. He shouldn't have been punished like this.

"Please breathe," Astrid murmured, looking down at her friend while a horrible feeling sunk through her. "Please breathe… please breathe.. come on, I need you, Hiccup. More than anything right now, I need you. Please, come back to us."

A whole minute passed while an icy silence filled the air, coating everyone in its ominousity.

"Astrid…," Snotlout said gently, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I don't think he's… well..." His voice was thick with sadness, and anyone who was listening closely could tell he was hiding tears.

"No!" Astrid shouted. She covered Hiccup with her arms in an attempt to protect him. "Hiccup is fine. He's going to be fine. W-we just have to get him back to Berk, and then Gothi can-"

Fishlegs shook his head, stopping Astrid mid-sentence. "Astrid, let me look at him."

"No."

"Astrid…"

" _No._ Hiccup, he's…" Tears coated Astrid's eyes. "He's going to be fine. Just wait and see."

And so she remained sitting there, waiting for Hiccup to finally wake up.

But in the future, she'd know that he never would.

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 **Don't kill me, guys! Death fics are death fics, and… and… *breaks down into tears* Okay. Okay. *breathes in and out* I'm cool. I'm collected. This is just a story.** **Anyways, review if you can… yep. *wipes tears away*** **Alright. That's a wrap. This story has ended. Now we're moving onto…** _ **Hiccup's funeral.**_ ***sobs* Oh, yeah! If** **you guys want, I could make this a two-shot and write Hiccup's funeral next chapter. I have plans! *cackles*** **Huh, any takers? Come on, you know you want to do it! Hehe, well, let me know what you think.**

 **With many tears and deep regrets,**

 **-thepurplewriter333**


	2. Goodbye

**Wow! It seemed like a bunch of you wanted me to continue with this story, and so I shall! It'll be 3 chapters total, I think…**

 **But anyways, thanks for your faves, follows, and reviews! They really made my day. And so you will be rewarded with Chapter Two: HICCUP'S FUNERAL!**

 **And if you listen to _Stoick's Ship_ song from HTTYD 2 while reading this, it'll just be... awesomely sad. ****You're gonna get the feels, my readers. Serious feels.**

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 **Chapter Two: Goodbye**

Stoick looked down at Hiccup's pyre, where his son laid deathly still aboard. Too still. _Oh, Odin, why..._

He couldn't believe that Hiccup was gone. It seemed impossible. Time after time, Hiccup had endured countless situations like this, but he had always pulled through. During the time of the Red Death attack, Hiccup had survived.

When he was struck by lightning, he survived.

When he had been captured by Dagur, Alvin, Viggo, and Ryker, he had survived.

But now his boy's luck had been cut off. He died saving all of Berk from the Submaripper, clearing the trading lanes once more.

 _Not my boy, oh, Thor, not my boy..._

"Oh, son," Stoick whispered, brushing a finger down Hiccup's cool cheek. _Not Hiccup._

He thought of the moment Hiccup had came into the world. How nervous he was. How terrified. How proud. Hiccup growing up, getting older. Time rushing by. Oh, how Stoick had believed that those times would never end. Hiccup would always be there. Alright. Safe. _Here_. Not... not...

"It should have been me to do all of this… you-you never should have paid the price… I'm so, _so_ sorry, Hiccup…" A tear trickled down Stoick's cheek, and the Viking removed his helmet, placing it on top of Hiccup's chest. "Now, when the Valkyries take you, you'll have a piece of me with you. You- you know. To remember." He gave his son a gentle kiss on the cheek before standing up.

"Stoick…"

The chief turned around to see Gobber standing nearby. The blacksmith's face was solemn. Stoick realized that this blow had injured Gobber, too. Hiccup had been his apprentice for... for many years. But no one was hurting as much as Stoick. _No one_.

"It's time to send him off."

Stoick felt his heart break in two, and he had to force himself to nod. _My son... oh, my little Hiccup, it was not your time.._. "Alright." With a shaky breath, he maneuvered back to where Hiccup lay on the table, and brushed a few of his locks back. "Good- goodbye... my son." He backed away, and stepped off board next to Gobber.

Sighing, Stoick looked to his left, where Astrid stood, looking heartbroken.

"Would you l-like to do... _it_?" the chief asked her, knowing that this was just as hard for Astrid to handle.

Astrid swallowed. "No. You can… _send…_ Hiccup off, sir."

Stoick noticed a tear falling down her cheek, but he nodded. "If you say so, lass." He put his fingers in a grip against the edge of the ship, and pushed it off. The small boat gently glided against the top of the water, causing ripples to erupt from underneath.

 _Hiccup._

 _My son._

 _My brave boy._

 _I love you. So, so very much._

 _Farewell..._

 _I... will miss you._

All the Riders looked down, unable to face their fallen friend.

Stoick let his shoulders collapse in grief, and grabbed his crossbow from nearby. Astrid did the same, as did the Riders and a few other Berkians. They waited until the ship was further away before loading them.

Gobber cleared his throat. He took a step forward, and made sure everyone could hear him.

"May the Valkyries welcome you, Hiccup, and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla... and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of kings and chiefs of your worth… there do I see my father; there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers; there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. They do call me, and they bid you to take your place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever." He paused, his voice cracking. "For a great boy- no…" Gobber shook his head. "A _man_ has fallen. A warrior. A soon-to-be-chieftain. A friend."

There was a heavy silence before Gobber went on.

"And a son."

Toothless rumbled, and laid down miserably at the edge of the docks.

Stoick, swallowing back tears, dipped his arrow down in a nearby torch, and held it up to the air. He aimed…

...and he fired.

The flaming arrow shot through the air like a shooting star, before it sunk into Hiccup's pyre, causing a small fire to begin. To rip through the wood. To take away Stoick's boy.

All the other Riders lit their arrows, and followed suit as Stoick had done. At once, the wave of arrows flew through the air, like golden, fiery birds of the sky, falling as if they had broken wings. Each one of them hit Hiccup's ship.

 _Plop._

Gone.

 _Hiss_.

He was gone.

 _Thunk._

His son.

Once the arrows marked their targets, Stoick blinked rapidly. He knew he should say something, but... but... oh, Hiccup... no, he _had_ to say something... _for him_...

"I'm sorry, son."

The riders wiped away tears from behind him. Astrid seemed on the verge of collapsing, and Toothless moaned in agony. _This wasn't supposed to happen._

Stoick continued. "I never could have been the father you needed… the father you _wanted…_ I thought I did my best to protect you, but… but I was wrong. Thank you for being there, Hiccup. You… you were more than I ever could have asked for. More than I deserved."

Hiccup's pyre still flamed as angrily as ever, waving around orange and red ribbons of rage. Yet the boat sailed on, still not sinking.

In an odd way, it reminded Stoick of Hiccup. The boy had gone through too many impossible situations to count, and he pulled through every one of them, just like the boat endured the fire. But now, Hiccup had fallen… as the boat soon would.

"I… I…" Astrid choked a sob, letting her crossbow fall to the ground. "I need to be alone." She ran off, sprinting up the docks boardwalks. Astrid didn't know where she was going. She just needed to get out of there.

Away from Hiccup's funeral.

Away from the place which reminded her of her failure.

Away from that stinging feeling which said it was all her fault Hiccup was dead.

 _This can't be happening._

Astrid ran and ran, until she found herself on top of one of Berk's hills, staring down at the water below. The sky above was a dark gray, and she knew it would rain soon. She bit her lip. It didn't seem right to have Hiccup's boat extinguished so soon. The flames represented endurance, and if they were washed away…

The girl sat down in the cold grass, her legs nearly dangling off the side of the hill. How had this happened? Only yesterday Hiccup had been alive and well, walking around Berk and smiling as he laughed at a joke. Scratched Toothless's head. Gave her that crooked smile she yearned to see at least one more time.

Astrid hugged herself tightly.

Maybe if she had been more careful to let Hiccup go… maybe if they had pulled him out of the water quicker, he would have survived...

 _It's all my fault,_ she told herself. _I should have been prepared for something like this to happen, or else Viggo wouldn't have had the chance to-_

Astrid froze.

 _Viggo._

 _He_ was the one responsible for Hiccup's death. _He_ was the one who killed her best friend while he was in the act of saving an entire village. "I'm going to kill him," she promised, glaring off into the sea. "He's going to face the wrath of Astrid Hofferson… oh, Hiccup…"

Before she knew it, Astrid was crying.

No. _Bawling._ Broken. Barren.

 _Hiccup... you... you... can't... you can't leave me..._

Her figure shook with sobs, and she had to force herself to lift her head to see where Hiccup's pyre was floating off to.

"Hiccup," Astrid choked out, struggling to keep hold of her conflicted emotions. "I hope you're… in a better place now… you- you deserve that much..."

More tears trickled down her cheeks, but Astrid didn't make a move to wipe them away. She couldn't do anything.

"I just wish that... that you didn't have to leave so soon…" Her voice broke. "Hiccup… please… somehow..."

And suddenly, she was begging. " _Come back to me_."

A memory hit Astrid all of the sudden. It was during the time she had caught Odin's Scourge, and was quickly fading. Hiccup, of course, had done everything in his power to find the expected-to-be-extinct Buffalord dragon. He had never given up on Astrid. Never. Even when all hope was lost.

" _Astrid, you need to stay with us,"_ she remembered him telling her through a fuzzy wall of pain. She had wanted to let go, so, so badly. But his kind and wonderful face had stopped her. " _I can't imagine a world without you in it."_

Astrid stared over at Hiccup's boat, her heart burning in pain and eyes swollen.

 _Hiccup._

 _Please._

 _No._

 _This isn't what was supposed to happen._

She sucked in a shaky breath.

"I can't imagine a world without you in it either, Hiccup."

The flames thickened.

And so did Astrid's tears.

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 ***giggle***

 **Anyways, I'm going to write Chapter Three tomorrow, so watch out!** **And IF YOU SOBBED, SAY SO IN THE REVIEWS. I'M MAKING A LIST. ;D** **Anyways… *sniffs* Yes, I know. I'm evil. This is so sad… *wipes away tears* Just hang on. Hang on through this terrible ride.**

 **Until next sad chapter of sobs and heartbreaks,**

 **-thepurplewriter333**


	3. Renewal

**Hey, guys! I'm FINALLY back! Sorry, end of the year testing has come up… yuck. Yes, I know, THAT LIKE A WEEK AGO OR SOMETHING, I said, "the next chapter will be up tomorrow!" WELL, I WAS A HYPOCRITE. I'M SORRY.**

 **Anyhoo, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT:**

 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE READ: ****In this chapter,** **HICCUP WILL BE ALIVE! ****I repeat, it's going to ****be a HICCUP!ALIVE chapter** **! But, it's going to sound at least a SMALL BIT ****cheesy** **, but I just wanted to make you guys satisfied with Hiccup still being alive and stuff. Well, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Renewal**

Astrid was crying.

Well, that was an understatement. She was full-out sobbing as her heart throbbed in pain. Hiccup was gone, and he was never coming back. No matter how hard to yearned to see his face again, no matter how much she wished to share another moment with him, she knew, deep down, that Hiccup wasn't going to return.

Ever.

That only made her weep harder.

After a minute more of her breakdown, Astrid looked back up at the sea, where Hiccup's pyre still flamed. It felt a little comforting to know that he was still there; he wasn't lost to her forever yet.

"I-I'm sorry, Hiccup," she croaked. "I wished I-I could have s-saved you… oh, gods... I should have done m-more… maybe if w-we were a few seconds e-earlier…" She trailed off. It was useless talking about what she could have done. There was no going back now to fix her mistakes. She would have to continue living on without Hiccup, no matter how difficult it was.

Suddenly, her eyes were drawn back to Hiccup's pyre. It was sinking now, down into the blue sea. Astrid felt a few tiny raindrops splatter across her cheeks as the rain clouds broke loose, but she barely noticed because something else caught her attention.

On the pyre, though it was supposed to be vacant aboard except for Hiccup and some of his belongings, she swore she saw something moving.

Astrid cocked her head. No, that was impossible…

It couldn't possibly be… no… it couldn't...

The pyre's flames were finally doused as it sunk down into the water, leaving just flickering embers scattered about. Astrid frowned, and bit her lip when she saw something move again on the boat. _What is that?_ she wondered.

Astrid stood up from her place on the ground, rubbing her puffy eyes to see clearer. The pyre was nearly submerged by water, and she could still make out the blanket which covered Hiccup's body.

And that was the thing that was moving.

"Hiccup?" Astrid gasped. But how…? How could he be alive? It had to be her imagination, or the wind. Hiccup was gone for good… Astrid hadn't felt a heartbeat when she pressed her ear against his chest... It wasn't just improbable that he was alive- it was _impossible._

The boat at last went under, causing hundreds of tiny bubbles to ripple across the surface. For a moment, nothing happened. Some more rain drops fell, the sky remained dark, and the empty feeling that was in the air earlier was still there.

But then something jumped out of the water.

Wait. No. It wasn't a something. It was a someone.

Hiccup.

" _Hiccup!"_ Astrid screamed, unable to hold it back. Even as far away as the pyre was, she could still see his shivering form sticking out the water. She almost fainted from surprise and relief at the sight, but soon regained her senses.

Hiccup… he was alive.

He was back.

He had returned.

But he also was sinking.

Astrid gasped in alarm. _Hiccup must be too weak to float on his own,_ she realized, starting to run down the hill to get to Berk's docks. _I have to save him. I won't let him down this time. Not ever again._ She frowned, getting closer to reaching the bottom of the hill where the docks were. _Hiccup… how are you alive?_

When Astrid reached the docks, she saw that almost all the village was there there, gazing sadly in the direction of their fallen warrior. They all cared deeply for Hiccup, and were devastated to see him go. Astrid hardly noticed, though, as she jumped past them and stopped next to Stoick.

"I need a boat," she panted. "H-Hiccup, h-he's…"

Stoick looked confused, and the tears in his eyes shimmered. "You need a boat, lass? Why?"

 _I don't have the time for this,_ Astrid thought to herself, irritated. It was now or never to save Hiccup. So, with her decision settled, the girl leapt into the swirling seawater and started to swim towards her friend- well, maybe a little more than that, she had to admit to herself.

Each stroke she took was another step to Hiccup. Another step to her friend. Another step to a happy ending.

Astrid swam and swam as the rain began to fall harder on her. The sea was a cool gray, and the waves were picking up. Ordinarily, she would have been worried to be in the water at such a dangerous time, but she didn't think about all of that now. All she knew was that Hiccup was alive and he was in danger.

But now, she finally had the chance to save him.

"I'm coming, Hiccup," she coughed, sputtering as salt water entered her lungs. "I-I'm coming for you…" Her arms burned from the exertion of swimming, and she started to pant. _No… I can't… give up… Hiccup needs… me…_

Finally, after a seemingly unending swim to Hiccup, Astrid reached the spot where she had last seen the boy. She could faintly see his head bobbing in and out of the water as he struggled to stay afloat.

"I'm coming, Hiccup!" she yelled. The wind picked up, drowning her words, but Astrid didn't give up. She swam the last few strokes until she reached Hiccup, and clutched onto him for dear life. Hiccup was shivering all over, and he looked both dazed and fearful with the weather roaring around him.

"A-Astrid?" he muttered, his body trembling. "H-how a-a-are you h-here? Why…?"

Feeling her heart break, Astrid held him closer. "I should be asking _you_ that question, you know. We thought you were dead!" She paused, the memories painful to recall from earlier that day. "After we pulled you out from your diving bell, you were unconscious, a-and… I didn't feel your heartbeat."

Hiccup coughed, wincing, and Astrid noticed a few burn marks on his cheeks. She felt concerned. The flames from the pyre must have grazed him. "I-I-I honestly d-don't know h-h-how," the boy said. "I-I remember b-being underwater w-with Toothless, w-when…" His eyes shot wide open. "T-Toothless! Is h-he okay?"

Astrid let out a half crazed laugh. "Hiccup, Toothless is fine. _You're_ the one who was presumed dead- and _still_ are… I just don't understand how you're back. But, I'm not complaining." And, just for the sake of it, she kissed him on the cheek, much to his surprise. "I'm never letting you go anywhere alone for the rest of your life, dragon boy. You and me will have to do everything together for now on, got it? You and me, me and you."

Hiccup raised a brow. "D-do I h-h-have to a-answer t-that?"

"Oh, nevermind. Now, our main problem is getting back to Berk." Astrid sighed, her legs rapidly kicking underwater. It took a lot of her effort to hold up Hiccup as well as herself. "We're too far away to swim back, and the weather is worsening."

"Hmm, I didn't notice," Hiccup said thoughtfully. "The rain is really hard to feel."

Astrid rolled her eyes, but was secretly relieved for him to have his regular sarcasm back. "Okay, okay… so, what do you suggest we do?" When Hiccup didn't answer, she looked down at him. "Hiccup?"

The boy's eyes were narrowed in thought. "Astrid, I might know why you thought I was dead," he started, glancing up at her.

"What? How...?"

"You said you tried to _feel_ for my heartbeat," Hiccup remembered. "So, how'd you do that?"

Groaning, Astrid thought that his motives were unimportant. They were stuck in the ocean while a dangerous storm was going on, for Thor's sake. They could worry about Hiccup's past survival later. "Well, I listened for your heartbeat on your chest," she said, annoyed. "And there wasn't one."

"Did you take my armor off?" Hiccup asked. "It's pretty thick, and you wouldn't have been able to hear my heartbeat, even if there was one there."

Astrid sucked in a breath. "I didn't check."

"And you didn't feel for my pulse?" Hiccup questioned.

"It was all kind of rushed, Hiccup!" Astrid protested. "We all thought you were dead! We were too upset to… to think of anything else. You should have seen your father's face when we brought you back to him. He wouldn't let anyone touch you as he put you on your pyre and gathered up some of your belongings. I-it wasn't a very nice feeling…"

"Gothi d-d-didn't check me o-out either?" Hiccup stuttered.

"Well, as I said before, Stoick wouldn't let anyone touch you," Astrid said. "He also felt for your heart beat, just to be sure, but there was none. Besides, your chest wasn't moving! How were we supposed to know?"

"A-Astrid!" Hiccup groaned. "My chest b-b-barely moves w-when I'm alive! I-I'm not the s-strongest breather, y-you know."

Astrid nearly smacked her forehead in realization, but in order to do that she'd have to let go of Hiccup, and that was one thing she would never, ever do again. "I'm sorry, Hiccup," she apologized, drawing him in closer. "This never would have happened if we just felt for your pulse or really paid attention… and now we're stuck out here, and we can't get back to Berk in this storm… I'm so sorry…"

Hiccup held back a fit of shivering, not wanting to worry Astrid any more than she already was. "I-I'm fine," he assured her. "W-we can swim b-back. I-I can make i-it."

Giving him a dubious look, Astrid shook her head. "Hiccup, you nearly died from drowning earlier today, you got burned from your funeral pyre, you're shaking all over, and now we're in the ocean during a storm. It's highly doubtful that you'd be able to swim by yourself."

"W-watch me," Hiccup smiled, and pulled out of Astrid's strong grip. He began to paddle away, but suddenly he felt too heavy. His prosthetic made him begin to sink, and his arms felt like lead as he tried to swim.

"Hiccup!" yelped Astrid as the boy started to go under. She swam over and grabbed his chest, holding him above the surface. "Don't ever do anything like that again! You could have-"

Suddenly, she was interrupted by something- well, _someone._ It was the shout of a viking. And then she could make out something big coming towards them through the drenching rain.

Getting closer… closer… until it reached them.

"Dad!" Hiccup yelled, seeing his father on the approaching ship. He had never been more relieved to see his father in his whole life. Astrid patted Hiccup back, trying to calm him down. She couldn't have him going off and drowning again, now could she?

At that moment, Stoick's grim face morphed into a shocked one; his furry eyebrows shot up in surprise, and his mouth gaped open. "S-son?" he gasped, unable to believe it. "B-but you… you were dead, and…"

"He's not dead yet, Stoick," Astrid interrupted, slowly swimming her and the boy over to Stoick's small ship. She saw that it was full of other vikings, each of their faces full of hope and joy at the sight of them. "He wouldn't do that to us."

When they reached the boat, Stoick grabbed Hiccup from Astrid and placed him on the deck, being ever so gentle as if his son would shatter at any moment. Snotlout offered a hand to Astrid, and he pulled her out of the water. Astrid murmured a quick thanks before returning her attention to Hiccup, who was coughing out water and shaking.

Stoick helped Hiccup sit up, and rubbed his back. "There you go, son. Let it all out."

"I-I'm fine," Hiccup croaked, letting out another weak cough. "I-is everyone else-?"

"Hiccup, everyone's fine," Astrid interrupted, amused with his concern. "It's you we're all worried about. You almost drowned two times today!"

"Suppose I have a chance to make it one more?" Hiccup offered jokingly.

He received a whack in the arm.

"Ow!" Hiccup grunted, rubbing his shoulder. "What was that for?"

" _That_ was for making me believe you died," the girl returned, pushing a wet lock of hair behind her ear. Then she leaned in and kissed Hiccup on the mouth. She pulled away a moment later, blushing. "And that's for being alive, dragon boy."

Hiccup smiled. "Thank you, milady."

Toothless suddenly hopped over, surprising Astrid. She hadn't even realized he was on deck. The dragon licked at Hiccup's cheek, elated with his rider being alive. "Heh, I'm happy to see you too, bud," Hiccup laughed, rubbing Toothless's head. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"You're not the only one who was scared. I was terrified," Stoick grumbled, crossing his arms. "Son… we all thought you were dead. Now, how is it that you are alive?"

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a knowing look, and both rolled their eyes before Hiccup began the story. "Well," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Surprisingly, it was all Astrid's fault that-"

Astrid punched him again. "Hey!"

Chuckling, Hiccup shrugged. "Just make sure that someone's dead before you send them off on a funeral pyre."

Stoick's eyebrows shot up. "What… what's that supposed to mean, Hiccup?"

"Stoick," Astrid laughed, placing a hand on his arm, "you really do have a lot to learn."

* * *

 **YAAAAAY!**

 **Oh! And sorry that the explanation might seem a little flimsy that he was alive. I mean, of COURSE they would check his pulse! But in here, let's just say they didn't. :)** **All right, at last we have reached the END OF THE STORY! Hope ya liked it (even though it obviously shed some tears…) Happy reading!**

 **See you at the next story!**

 **-thepurplewriter333**


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